A delightful treat for essential oil fans — these wild orange essential oil truffles make an elegant dessert or an edible gift.
I recently began experimenting with essential oils at home, starting with familiar scents like lemon, lavender, and tea tree. On a whim I bought a bottle of wild orange after enjoying its bright fragrance at a friend’s house. While I’m not an expert on therapeutic uses, I love wild orange for its fresh aroma — I add it to homemade body butter and sometimes diffuse it around the house. The scent inspired me to flavor a batch of dark chocolate truffles, and the results were so good I had to take photos and share the recipe.
As a note, I’m not a certified aromatherapist or medical professional. Essential oils are potent and many are not recommended for internal use without guidance. My own research indicates that wild orange essential oil is commonly used in cooking, but if you plan to ingest essential oils, consult a qualified practitioner first.
The ganache is simple to make and forgiving. You can melt the chocolate and cream together in a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Once the ganache is smooth, add the wild orange essential oil sparingly — the flavor will intensify as the ganache sets. Let it rest until it firms to a scoopable consistency, then form into balls and either roll in unsweetened cocoa powder or dip in melted chocolate candy coating. For a decorative finish, brush a little iridescent gold luster dust mixed with a bit of clear extract or vodka on top of dipped truffles; skip this step if you roll them in cocoa.
These truffles make an attractive addition to parties and an elegant homemade gift when arranged in a pretty tin. Enjoy!
Wild Orange Essential Oil Truffles
30 minutes
5 minutes
35 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 6 ounces heavy cream
- 2–3 drops wild orange essential oil
- dark chocolate candy coating for dipping or unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling
Instructions
- Weigh out your ingredients on a kitchen scale.
- Melt the chopped dark chocolate and heavy cream together in a double boiler or the microwave until smooth and glossy. If using a microwave, heat at 50% power for 1 minute, stir, then add 20-second intervals at 50% power, stirring between each, until fully melted.
- Stir in 2–3 drops of wild orange essential oil to taste while the ganache is warm. Keep the flavor subtle — it will deepen as the ganache cools.
- Let the ganache set until it reaches a scoopable consistency: a few hours at room temperature or about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the ganache, quickly roll into balls, then either roll in cocoa powder (shake off excess) or dip in melted dark chocolate candy coating. If dipping, chill the ganache balls first, dip a few at a time, remove excess coating, and place on wax paper to set. Dipped truffles can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated.
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